The Door on the Hill
by Darkmoose84
Summary: Wendy and her friends find an old door in the side of a large hill, while Pacifica contacts Wendy for advice. What could be behind it and how can Miss Corduroy help Paz? Mostly a story about growth and a possible mystery. A one shot, but if enough people like it, I'll turn it into a series.
1. The Door on the Hill

"I am ignorant and rude/I am fashionably crude/And sometimes when it's quiet/I'm an angel in white...I am lovely and weak/I am foul when I speak/I am strange when I'm kind/I am frying my mind." – Sheryl Crow

"June bug skipping like a stone/With the headlights pointed at the dawn/We were sure we'd never see an end to it all." – The Smashing Pumpkins

October 30th, 2012

"Are you sure it's down there?" Nate asked as the group walked through the grass atop the high mountain overlooking the quaint town.

"Heck yeah!" Wendy replied, "I've actually seen it several times. It was just sticking out of the side of the hill as I was driving my dad's truck. Just kinda caught my eye and screamed Pines Twin mystery. And without them, it's up to us to stupidly investigate what the crap it is."

"Forget random Pines-ish mysteries," Robbie retorted, "I'm more concerned about what we're going to do for the actual Halloween tomorrow. Any ideas?"

"Party's at my place," Lee shouted.

"I've already sent out the invites," Tambry followed, still typing on her accursed phone.

"Thinkin' of wearing that skeleton outfit with this hoodie," Robbie continued to muse, "Gotta have that Donnie Darko vibe. Has anyone seen that movie? It's sooooo deep."

"Kinda pretentious for me" Wendy replied, "Just felt like it wanted to say more than it was capable of. What did you think, Tambry?"

"Eh, it was okay," Tambry rolled her eyes and then gave Robbie a short wink, "I did like the retro feel to it at least. But anyways, did you read Neuromancer, Wendy? Ugh, I think I've found my new calling in cyberpunk."

"I liked some of it," Wendy answered, "Still kinda pretentious but fun nonetheless. I wish I read more often, but I kinda enjoy being outdoors more."

"To each their own," Tambry replied, "With as much time as I spend on social media, it really got me thinking about how much I think they're probably tracking my information, like they're reading every click I make. Then I read up on the Semantic Web, which gave me an idea of what I want to study when we all finally get out of here and move to Portland. You still on board with that?"

"Definitely, babe," Robbie grinned and then kissed Tambry on the cheek.

"Oh, yeah," Wendy replied, "Gotta get out of this po-dunk town. See what the rest of the state is like, if not the rest of the world."

"Okay guys," Thompson interjected, "I'm more than willing to be your 'gopher' for whatever is down there, but why don't we rest and have our dinner picnic or whatev' first."

"Down with that, Thompson," Wendy said, "starting to get hungry myself."

The group sat down, spread out their respective towels, and opened their bags and the cooler. While they ate and drank, it gave them a moment to intake their surroundings, despite how used to the climate and environment they were.

The evening sun bathed the top of the town in a surreal red light that gave both a sense of lulling and agitated foreboding. In the distant sky to the north, storm clouds passed by, most likely raining down on some northern forest area way outside of town. The effects of the weather and the setting sun was like some surrealist Edvard Munch painting or Ridley Scott film, but none of the teens thought that deeply about it. They were caught up in the moment. Gravity Falls had called off school for that Tuesday, as much of the strangeness of the town bled into its culture, giving in to the superstition and celebration of such eldritch seasons as Samhain and all the potentially frightful and Romantic essences for which it carries. The smell of pumpkin and cider filled the air to those who passed through its lurid and rustic streets at night.

Such was autumn in Gravity Falls, Oregon, a time of natural changing colors, vibrant new scents, and justified superstitions.

Wendy looked down at her phone. She had three new instant messages from Pacifica on the Bloodcraft: Overdeath Amino; she had apparently been texting her since earlier this afternoon since school had ended, but given how busy Wendy had been getting ready for their hangout, she had failed to notice. The messages read as followed on her phone's screen:

PLATINUMPAZ: Hey...lumberjack chick, can we talk?

PLATINUMPAZ: I was wondering if you heard from the twins or whatever. I haven't seen Dipper on Skype in days, which is really frustrating because I need his advice on nerdy ghost stuff again. I wouldn't try to contact hi- them otherwise.

PLATINUMPAZ: Okay, fine. I'll fess up with you. I really need your advice. Message back soon, got it?

Wendy gave a short chuckle at reading them; she would never understand why this little blonde thing was always so uptight, but if she was coming to her for advice, maybe this was an opportunity for her to loosen up a bit.

She unlocked her phone and began typing.

* #*

Across town, Pacifica was pacing back and forth in her room at her parent's new estate. While it was smaller than the mansion, it still had all the modern amenities. And Preston had offered the hillbilly McGucket such a hefty sum, they spared no expense on military grade technology throughout the home. (Despite all that she had, Pacifica was still amazed at what a smart fridge could do.)

What she was more concerned about at the time was when and if this red-headed girl of the uncouth outdoors would ever get back to her. Given that she was an older kid, Pacifica thought it might be beneficial to ask her advice on a few things...specifically Dipper. She could see why the boy might have liked her; she was lax in her cares, cool in the face of danger, tough, and confident, all things Pacifica secretly wished she was.

She looked at the calendar again. It was Tuesday, October 30th, the day before the dreaded yet hallowed eve where the ether is thin and the spirit world ready to enter theirs. She wondered why Gravity Falls honored it in such a way, but it made sense with the strangeness magnitude this town drew how its population might be drawn into superstition and mysticism. She was already seeing things around her new domicile, all those people who died from the back breaking labor her family had ordered without compensation to their families. It only grew worse as the October month progressed. These entities would stand around her bed, staring at her, blood leaking from their eyes. There would be writing on the wall, reading, "You did this to us. Your family will burn." Once, she even saw the wife of Archibald Corduroy hovering above her bed before she screamed a deafening din that caused her to pass out once more. (She wondered, given the Corduroy heritage, if she wasn't a banshee at this point)

She would then awake to find herself alone, no writing on the walls, the autumn sun streaming through the curtains and banishing the darkness she had felt in her heart. Were there truly visitors or was this the guilt she felt in her heart for her and her family's misdeeds? And how could she make amends with the Corduroy family, lest the banshee return?

All the more reason for her to continue to wait for Wendy's response.

Her heart leaped as a response finally came, the vibration of the phone matching her heart palpitation. She unlocked her phone and read the message.

FlippinCorduroy: Sure! Why don't you meet us on the hill with the old water tower? We found something that I think even the Pines Twins missed. Robby went on another food run, but after we eat, we're going to check it out.

Something the Pines Twins missed? Could she use this to renew their interest in the town? She had to find out. But what of her overbearing parents? They made it a point to tell her not to associate any further with the lower class, but she wasn't about to heed that nonsense, especially since their attitudes and prejudices were what lead to her continued phantasmagorical night terrors.

Pacifica opened the window and, tying her sheets in a knot to the bed frame, did the stereotypical thing of climbing out the window to the ground level. Her butler was used to seeing this and was of course paid in advance for covering it up each time she snuck out. She had no reason to fear. She would meet this red-headed woman on the hill and possibly get some advice from her in dealing with the thoughts and fears she had.

* #*

"Thompson! Thompson!" the group shouted as they lowered Thompson over the side of the cliff to the lower ledge of the side of the hill. The group had finished eating, and now it was time to investigate. Who better to scout the area than Thompson? He dropped feet first onto the grassy cliff side, and for a moment, he thought he twisted his ankle. This wouldn't deter him from what he set to do, as he didn't want to sound like a whiner to the crew. They thought he was cool and would continue to use him as their scout, gopher, and comic relief, but none of that bothered him. He wanted to stay with the cool crowd.

Thompson looked at his surroundings for a moment. The highway was roughly 30 feet below, and the small landing he was on seemed to terminate roughly ten feet on either side of the hill. It was a wonder that there was even something man-made here. Still, he found the object for which they were searching: a rusted iron door embedded in the side of the hill. He approached it to get a better look.

"What do you see?" Nate shouted.

"Well, it's a door, alright," Thompson answered, "It looks ridiculously old. I'm wondering if there wasn't some larger cliff here earlier. But it's got something in the middle of it, like some old combination..." At about eye length, within the door, was a tumbler combination with five entries on the mechanism. Each entry on the tumbler combination was a weird symbol. Thompson proceeded to roll through them, though they weren't easy to move and made a harsh squeaking sound of ages old metallic decay. "Huh, I can't understand any of these."

"The mystery gets more interesting by the second," Wendy commented.

"Why don't you play with it a bit?" Lee added, "One of them has to be the right pattern. It sounds like that might be what opens the door."

"Uhhhh, alright..." Thompson sounded unsure, but he still continued to play with the mechanism.

Wendy looked away from the cliff side and up to the increasingly darkening sky for a moment before she felt a tap on her shoulder. She spun around and unsurprisingly, Pacifica was there as expected.

"Hey lumber woman," Pacifica greeted her, "Can we go ahead and talk now, or am I interrupting some weird peasant ritual you're taking part in?"

"We sure can," Wendy laughed and shook her head in disbelief, "C'mon, princess, lets have a seat on the grass." The two walked away from the cliff for a moment while Thompson continued to mess around with the door lock. "Now, what's eatin' ya, woman?"

"You don't waste any time, do you, prying right into me?" Pacifica grumbled.

"Weeeeell, it's important you're honest with me," Wendy replied, "Otherwise, I can't help you."

"This isn't easy for me, you know," Pacifica stated, "I'm not used to opening up like this...but maybe that's part of the problem. See, the thing is...I've got a number of problems, and I don't know who to turn to about them."

"Why don't we start with whatever's weighing you down most?" Wendy suggested.

"They range anywhere from ghosts haunting me at night..." Pacifica paused for a moment, embarrassed as her cheeks blushed, "...to boy troubles."

"Can't say I know too much about ghosts," Wendy began, "although my dad's old house is still very haunted. I also keep thinking I've been hearing a banshee screaming at night since October started…But I can give some 'boy' advice, though I don't know how you might take what I have to say on it."

"Go ahead and hit me with it, Red," Pacifica replied, while her voice began to lower, her speech slowing as she thought to herself, "I really need some 'sage advice' on this...What do I do to get this clever intellectual boy to like me?"

"It's Dipper, isn't it?" Wendy asked.

"How did you…?"

"Dude, you hugged this boy out of the blue twice," Wendy laughed, "And from what I hear, it wasn't a normal friendly hug either."

"Ugh, Mabel really doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut," Pacifica grumbled.

"You really expected her not to share something that exciting?" Wendy laughed again, "But seriously, to answer your question, I really hope you're not obsessing over him. I gave Mabel similar advice. 'Guys' can be the worst. Don't ever make any 'guy' your world. If you're solely reliant on them without building up or even having any understanding of yourself, they're going to let you down every time. You should first focus on who you are and what you want to do in life, what it is that really makes you happy and you...well, you. And you know, I get it. At this point, when you're first discovering these feelings, it seems like that's all there is, that romance is the end all be all. But take it from someone who's been there. A lot of them are just as insecure and inexperienced as you are. Right now, you gotta find out what you want to be. And then after you've gotten that set, what direction you want to take, then you can focus on 'guys.' No, not just 'guys' but real men who can support and understand you as a person."

There was a slight awkward pause. Pacifica was taken aback by what Wendy had said. Wendy was wondering where the heck this sage advice was coming from. She was normally the lax, irresponsible one at her school and the Mystery Shack, and yet that long-winded statement came out of her. Still, after the silence, Pacifica shook her head.

"Ha, right, like I'd let any dumb guy become my sole world," Pacifica sarcastically replied while turning up her nose, but then after a moment, she looked back down at the ground, "but...still,...I wouldn't mind some advice on how to get him to notice me. He's...amazing. And if you say anything to anyone about it, I will sue you and your family's entire logging industry."

Wendy gave yet another chuckle.

"Okay, okay, Paz," Wendy replied, "I get it. Well, I think you need to do two things. One is find things that appeal to him. He's got some very specific interests, namely the paranormal and mysteries. Maybe find some more around here that you might be able to share with him when he comes back next summer."

"Like...whatever it is that you're having your servant search for right now?" Pacifica asked.

"Thompson's not our..." but Wendy stopped herself and decided not to correct her, "Yeah, like that weird door we just found. Maybe we could get a picture of it and send it to Mabel. Which leads to our second thing: you gotta be nicer to Mabel. Dipper and his sister are kind of a package deal."

"That...is a work in progress," Pacifica grumbled, "I don't know. I guess it stems from how different our personalities are. I probably bullied her because I really couldn't understand her. My life is filled with structure, organization, and a sense that we need to exert our superiority that my parents instilled in me these 13 years of my life...And she just approaches life without worrying about any of that. Just completely carefree and wild, doing her own thing...In many ways, maybe I envy her."

"Totally get it," Wendy smiled, "I really think you're growing and making progress on your own, recognizing all this. And about these ghosts...I'm no expert on them, by any means. That was more Dipper's thing. But, really, I think you're better with them than I'd ever be. I mean, look what you did at the mansion. You saw your ancestor's wrongdoings and did the right thing. Maybe that's what you need for these other ghosts..."

"But I think one of them is related to you," Pacifica shuddered thinking about it, "You said he thought you heard a banshee, too. I think that was Archibald's wife, your great- or great-great-grandmother or whatever. I think I just need to know you and I are cool, and maybe she'll see that and leave us alone."

"Of course, girl," Wendy then wrapped her arm around Pacifica's shoulder, pulled her close, and gave her a playful noogie, "We're totally cool. And if you, like, wanna have a sleepover or whatever, I'm totally down. We'll stay up all night and if she visits, I can tell her myself that things are gonna be alright. I'll gladly take you under my wing. I'm up for helping with whatever you need, woman."

"Yeah," Pacifica smiled for the first time all day, "I'd like that."

On the side of the hill, Thompson groaned. He was still fumbling with the tumbler entries, but none of them seemed to make any noticeable change on the door or give any click to signify a locking mechanism had disconnected.

"Ugh, this is going to take all night!" he shouted, "I really don't think I can get this."

"Why don't we come back to it later?" Wendy shouted back to him, "It'll still be there by the weekend."

"Whatever you guys find," Pacifica said to Wendy, "Keep me in the loop, okay?"

"Sure thing, Paz," Wendy replied, "Still want that picture?"

"Oh you know it," Pacifica beamed.

As Nate, Lee, and Robbie helped Thompson back to the top, Wendy and Tambry held Pacifica over the edge of the cliff by her ankles. For a moment, Pacifica felt like this was an action more in tune with Mabel's behavior...but she concluded that wasn't entirely a bad thing. She then took her phone from her blazer, turned it upside down so that it was right-side up by the door's standard, and snapped a picture. The older girls pulled her back to the top where she recomposed herself and straightened her dress.

Pacifica then ensured the picture was clear enough and that the runes on the tumbler were visible. It was now in her camera storage for her to send later. She smiled and put the phone back in her pocket. It was ammunition she now had she could now use to fire towards the Pines' attention.

"Well, I think that'll be enough the sate the mystery dorks' appetite," she concluded, still trying to pass it off as though she didn't care as much, "I'll catch you girls later."

"Also, Paz," Wendy smiled her way, "You're welcome in our group anytime. Candy and Grenda are also a part of it and have already gone through the initiation and hazing."

"I'll sleep on it," Pacifica flashed a smug smile back while winking at her, "See you losers around. I just got to wait for Dip...I mean those Pines weirdos to respond to this new mystery door or whatever." And with that, Pacifica proceeded down the road in the direction of the setting sun.

Tambry, having finished updating her status and hearing Pacifica's words, finally put her phone away while raising an eyebrow in Pacifica's direction.

"Dang," she laughed, "That poor girl's got it baaaad."

"Yup, I know," Wendy replied.

"Think she'll be okay?"

"How so?" Wendy asked back.

"I mean in general," Tambry clarified, "I mean, given everything that's happened to her."

"Yeah," Wendy gave a warm, assured smile, "I think she's going to be perfectly fine."

Wendy then looked out over the hill again at the quaint town. As the shades of evening drew onward, she could see the lights of the various establishments wink on through their respective windows. The sky in the distance gradually turned from an orange red to a dark blue, and she knew that this day was coming to an end, preparing the night before the blessed All Hallows Eve. For a moment, she thought she saw various shapes and unnatural shadowy figures move back and forth from the windows, as if various creatures were shooting from their hiding places. Surely this down offered it share of oddities and mysteries, but she knew that this wasn't all that there was to the world. She knew that beyond this town as a vast sphere full of different cultures and that she had every desire to break away from this podunk town, at least for a short while, and experience what was beyond her limited beginnings. Portland sounded like a good way to start, and at the very least Tambry would be there to share it with her when the time came. For right now, though, a younger girl needed her help, even if she was ridiculously passive-aggressive about it.

"Wait up, Paz," she called out to Pacifica, "We'll give you a ride home."

* #*

Here Pacifica was again, in her room, waiting for a response from a text. She had sent the message with the picture to Mabel and was waiting for them to at least say something back about it. She thought she was going to have to wait just as long for a response but actually received one in no less than five minutes. Ever eager, Pacifica replied to it as fast as she could. The conversation ran thus:

Mabel: Well, that's a weird place to put a door.

Pacifica: I thought it might get you two nuts' attention. Took you long enough to answer.

Mabel: Sorry; I was grounded from using my phone. Went waaaaay overboard with my mom's glue gun and crafting supplies. Almost burned the house down this time.

Pacifica: How does that even work? Anyways, could you, like, show this to your brother, or whatev?

Mabel: lol! I'll tell him his girlfriend might have a new mystery for him!

Pacifica: NO! Just tell the nerd boy to call me when he can.

Mabel: Sure thing, new sister-in-law!

Pacifica: Gah!

She decided it was useless to try and correct the wild girl. Mabel would believe what she would...but she wasn't entirely incorrect. Pacifica did like Dipper, and she had to admit that to herself first if there were to be any progress on it. The next thing would be on how to talk to him about it. But she also remembered Wendy's words and would not become obsessed with the idea. There were indeed more pressing things than chasing a long-distance romance.

She wondered what could be behind the door on the hill. Ultimately, though, the discovery of the door seemed to be a gateway in and of itself to a new way of thinking for Pacifica. She felt like, after this past year, she was changing into both a nicer and more adventurous person. Could this be what they call growing up? But she knew it would be a good change. If ever there would be any fixing her family's name into something more associated with philanthropy and altruism, she knew the change would need to come from her and something she could then pass to the next generation onward. And now, she at least had Wendy who would help her loosen up and perhaps guide her on dispelling these ghosts which haunted her mind, whether they were figurative or indeed literal.

Nonetheless, she and Wendy could then try their hand at unlocking the strange door. Perhaps it was their turn to solve a mystery on their own, something about which they could tell the Pines duo when they inevitably met once again.


	2. Fortunado

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

The teens were once again cramped into Thompson's van, each of them shouting some form of banter or another as Type O Negative blared from the radio. The windows were rolled down so that the rest of the town could hear them as they passed, perhaps to express themselves to the world in some crude way or perhaps to revel in the fact that this was meant to be a fun night.

Given the town's ruling that this day and the next did not hold school or work for most, this was a night for exaltation and revelry. It was a time when the ether was thin and spectral world bled into the physical plane, a time to reflect on one's own mortality and celebrate the fact that the town's inhabitants were still alive, just as the dead may smile upon and take merriment in those who are to die. Yet, the teens laughed and continued to make merry in their proper way, however maddening it was, without any of this existential nonsense.

Tambry looked away from Robbie for a moment and looked over at Wendy, who looked as though she were en-wrapped in profound contemplation but with a smile on her face.

"Hey, Wendy!" Tambry beamed, "Lemme guess. Merida right!?"

"You guessed it!" Wendy replied with a huge smile.

"Ha, I thought so!"

"Though I took some liberties with it," Wendy explained, "I made a slit on either side of the dress, and I'm wearing leggings and of course my awesome boots with it."

"Sounds like you have some other plans besides the party," Tambry observed.

"Yeah," Wendy smiled, "you could say that."

"You trying the door again?" Nate asked.

"It's become a quest now," Wendy said, "Plus, I'm hoping to enlist some backup if anyone's interested."

"Sorry, Wendy," Lee answered, "I think most of us really just want to have fun at the party."

"Yeah, and I'm straight up done with that thing," Thompson groaned as he drove, "I tried my best, but puzzles just aren't for me."

"Well, I'm still determined," Wendy insisted, "And I still think I may have one person on my side on it."

"Just like I feared," Robbie laughed, "Those Pines kids corrupted you with all their mystery-chasing."

"That's the one thing I'm going to miss when we move to Portland," Wendy sighed, "all the cool oddities and mysteries of this place." She then looked out the window and saw the tiny town below the hill, all lit up. It reminded her of some tiny model that she saw once at the historical society. As much as she wanted to escape, this place was and would always be very much a part of her. After a moment, she rolled down the window and stuck her head out, taking in the smell of the mountain air and the autumn wind on her face. She let out a whooping shout as they finally approached the house party.

* #*

"You think this place is going to be that lit?" Tiffany asked Pacifica. She and her other friend Ariel were all sitting in the back of Pacifica's personal limo, the chauffeur driving them to the older kid's Halloween party.

"Heck, yeah," Pacifica insisted, "These are the high school kids. If we can get popular with them, think about what kind of reputation we'll have when we actually start high school ourselves."

The three were dressed in full costume as well. Pacifica was dressed as the super heroine Black Cat, the costume design similar to one of the many Disney Spider-Man cartoon series. There was something about the character Felicia Hardy to which she felt she could relate. Yes, she also did read a few of her comics as well but refused to admit it to anyone.

"I dunno," Ariel speculated, "Aren't you worried this place might be a little on the trashy, uncouth side?"

"True, I would normally prefer something a little more…classy," Pacifica answered, "But, like, we really should branch out a little more. I was reading one of my dad's business books about how to appeal to a wider range of people when either making deals or managing a crew. Time to step outside our comfort zone, girls."

"I gotta say," Tiffany noted, "After that whole…event this summer, I'm really seeing a major change in you…That's not a bad thing. Pleasedon'tshoutatme."

"Change is a constant in everyone's lives," Pacifica responded, having a calmer demeanor than Tiffany had anticipated, "That's what that Ford Pines guy said once…" and then she said something under her breath. "…aka the hot Stan…who I'm also banking on Dipper turning into one day."

"What?" Ariel asked.

"Nothing."

The limo finally pulled up to Lee's house, the voices of the party goers and the loud music blaring from the establishment. The three got out of the car and walked to the door. It was already slightly ajar, so the girls let themselves into the house.

"Everyone can relax!" Pacifica shouted, "The queen of the party is here!" But it seemed that no one heard what she said. Instead they continued laughing and horsing around the living room, all while Ministry's song "Every Day is Halloween" boomed out of some unseen stereo speakers. Two or three guests came stumbling from the dining room to the entry, nearly knocking over Pacifica and her friends. "Wasn't the introduction I was expecting."

"I guess we still need to build our presence more," Tiffany said.

As they made their way into the living room, Pacifica look over, and just beyond the guy trying to juggle and then catch three ping pong balls in his mouth were three couples making out on the couch near the far wall, two of which were Robbie and Tambry.

"Eww," Pacifica groaned, "Can't they get a room for that?" And yet, as much as this grossed her out, it made her wonder what it would be like to do that with Dipper. She shook her head, not wanting to think about that at the moment.

"Hey, Paz," she heard Wendy say as she walked down the stairs to greet her, "Wild party, eh?"

"I'm used to wild," Pacifica answered with some frustration, "but this is a whole other level. Plus, I'm not used to people ignoring me."

"I get it," Wendy acknowledged, "You're low woman on the totem poll again when you're around the older crowd."

"Hey, Pacifica," Ariel sheepishly spoke up, "We're going to try and find the punch. Mind if we meet you later?"

"Yeah, sure," Pacifica waved her hand, "If I'm not back later, the limo will take you both home. I've got some business to handle tonight outside of just the party."

"Okay," Ariel replied, "if you think you'll be alright."

Some time later, Wendy and Pacifica had made their way to the back patio to get some air. Punch in hand, they continued their conversation.

"It's just, I dunno," Pacifica deliberated, "I would have thought some of my popular reputation would have carried over to the high school crowd. I mean, my name is well known throughout the town."

"That's true," Wendy answered, "But keep in mind, the teenage focus moves at the speed of light, and that of course has a tendency to change."

"Well, I guess that just means I need to reestablish myself," Pacifica concluded, "Shouldn't be too hard, right? I mean, I was going to be giving my family name a new reputation anyway. Hopefully, once I hit my later teen years, everyone will know the 'Nice Pacifica.'"

"There's the optimism I was hoping for," Wendy smiled, "But down to business." She stood up, ready to go. "You ready for another try at that door?"

"Ready as I'll get," Pacifica replied, "But not before I do something first." The two walked back in, and Pacifica placed an empty plastic Solo cup on the kitchen table, one with a clear view of the living room table. The Cult's "She Sells Sanctuary" played over the speakers this time. She then grabbed one of the golf clubs Lee's dad kept in the corner, a pitching wedge to be precise, along with a golf ball. She then climbed on top of the coffee table in the middle of the living room.

"Attention, please?" she shouted, and everyone calmed down, "Watch me make this shot." She placed the ball on the coffee table, steadied the club and raised the club, and chipped the ball from the table, across the living room, and right into the plastic cup in the kitchen, just as Ian Astbury reached the chorus of the song over the speakers. A clean shot. "That trick was courtesy of Paz Northwest! Have a good night, nutballs."

The room cheered at this, shouting "Paz! Paz Paz!" as Pacifica and Wendy left the house and walked down the dirt road towards the hill.

"That was awesome!" Wendy beamed as they continued walking.

"What can I say?" Pacifica shrugged, "Golf is one of my talents. Don't ask me to do long division in my head, though. I hate math."

"I'm not terrible at math," Wendy began, "but it's definitely not my favorite subject. I do like literature when the teacher makes it fun."

"We just got through reading some Poe," Pacifica remembered, "I guess they were gearing us up for Halloween." By this time, the two had made their way back to the cliff, the sounds from the house now all but unheard. The moonlight gave the scene an eerie and sickly feel, bathing everything in a pale gray illumination. "And right now, I kind of feel like that Fortunado guy when he walked away from the festival and into the old catacombs."

"You're not chickening out, are you?" Wendy asked. There was a moments hesitation, but then Pacifica shook her head.

"Ha, Northwests don't admit defeat," Pacifica chided, "You should know that by now."

"I think you're just as stubborn as me," Wendy laughed. And the girls proceeded through the darkness until they finally reached the cliffside.

"So, how do we want to do this?" Pacifica huffed, "I say one of us needs to stay up top while they other tries to unlock the door, in case anyone catches us or if we still can't solve it, the other can pull them back to the surface."

"I'm going to be honest with you," Wendy said, "I'm probably going to need to stay up top, as I've got more upper body strength than you. That is, unless you think you can pull me up the side of a hill in a hurry."

"Fair point," Pacifica agreed, "Okay…here goes." And with another hesitation and a deep breath, she jumped off the side of the cliff and stumbled onto the landing. Her foot almost went off the lower ledge, but she was able to stabilize her balance, the skip of her heart notwithstanding. Pacifica then turned around to face the door. She did have a flashlight but didn't need it; the moonlight was able to suffice in making the tumbler runes visible.

"You okay there?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah," Pacifica shouted back, "Just muddied my new designer boots is all."

"They'll live," Wendy told her. Pacifica looked over the door and began rolling the tumblers, hoping to find the right rune combination. She simply kept rolling them, without any direction or ideas on what they could be whatsoever. Needless to say, this situation would have been frustrating to anyone, but especially for someone who is trying to overcome her anger management and overall negative outlook.

"Gruh, what could this thing be?" Pacifica growled, "I will own you, you stupid door."

"You tell it who's boss, woman," Wendy chuckled.

With one final grunt of agitation, Pacifica slid the fifth rune into place, and they all began to glow an ominous red within the door. There was a loud clunking sound, and they knew they had accomplished their goal.

"I did it! I did it!" Pacifica cheered, "In your face, you overcomplicated door puzzle." She then kicked it as Wendy hopped down to meet her; the door responded with a clang but did nothing.

"Guess we should open it," Wendy said.

"If we make it out of this," Pacifica began, "I'm taking you with me on my next trip to Disneyland. Ever here of Club 33?"

"Can't say I have."

"It's an exclusive private club for frequent park goers," Pacifica continued, "Super fancy restaurant in the middle of New Orleans Square. And the staff all treat you like a princess. Then, I'll pull some strings and see if I can get us to stay in Cinderella's castle again. I'd say after this, you've more than earned it."

"Sweet!" Wendy grinned, "That sounds like a boss idea already. Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet," Pacifica sighed, "We've got to survive this first." With that, Wendy turned the door's rusted iron latch and began to open it, the old hinges giving an expected creak. The girls lit their flashlights and shined them into the open portal. The most immediate walls gave the impression that it was either some ancient cave or a great old mine shaft. There seemed to be electric lines with old lamps on both walls. At the far end, there was nothing but blackness, an inky, Stygian abyss of which their flashlights could not penetrate.

The oldest type of fear is that of the unknown, and that is what both girls felt at once. Still, they forced themselves to stay strong and bravely took a step forward through the mysterious door.


	3. Need a Guide

As the crowd carried Pacifica around the room shortly before she left with Wendy, Candy looked down again at her notepad. She wanted to say hello to them, but the two were gone before she could. The only person she knew at this party was Grenda, who seemed to be much more social than she was. With Mabel being gone, and a new school year having started last month, she and Grenda had come to this party to possibly meet new people and network a bit more.

Unfortunately, all it left Candy feeling was awkward and isolated. The fact that she was sitting next to the "make-out couch" didn't help matters. She simply did her best to ignore the couples and focused again on the designs in her notepad. After having operated a giant robot during the...events over last summer, it sparked her interest in robotics, which then lead her into researching artificial intelligence. The designs she had thus far, however, looked somewhat boxy, with a smiling face on its screen and arms and legs protruding from its rectangular form. Her idea was to create a unit that was an all in one device that was also self aware but still good-natured; based on this all inclusive ideology, she wanted to call the machine the "Be More" computer and had then shortened it down to BMO. It was a quaint, cute name, and she felt it suited such a small, adorable creation.

She knew, however, she needed to socialize more often. Boys were indeed a thought on her mind, and there was a part of her that wondered how she might catch their attention. She had considered Dipper but ultimately dismissed him, as she knew they were both out of each others league. Was Gabe still available? She didn't mind that he kissed puppets; the bohemian side of her actually saw this as fascinating, that he would express life though these creations and provide equal love towards them. Still, this was just an afterthought, and the more practical side of her dismissed it as strange. She shook her head and decided to continue working on her project. There were more pressing matters than boys, and as far as socializing, she wanted to learn to walk before she ran.

Candy had dressed as Squirrel Girl from the Marvel comics, a character of whom she admired despite seemingly being overpowered. (She could take down Galactus and Thanos in a matter of minutes) She wondered how many people would get the reference, but it didn't matter; she was just happy to be playing as one of her favorite characters. Of course, it didn't help that the bushy tail kept getting in the way every time she sat down.

She finished her last sketch, reviewed the design, and slid the pen into the rings of the notepad. Sighing, she then stood and decided to try and find out where Wendy and Pacifica had gone. She decided to approach Pacifica's friends, Ariel and Tiffany, about this.

"Hal su-iss-eo, Candy," she whispered to herself, "Bukkeuleowo hajima." she walked over to the two girls, who were both giving some haughty, demeaning criticism towards some of the guys at the party after they asked them out. "Excuse me, but are you Pacifica's friends?"

Ariel turned to Tiffany and condescendingly whispered, "Is it trying to talk to us?"

"Let me handle this," Tiffany replied before speaking to Candy, "Yes we are? What's it to you?"

"Just inquiring," Candy answered, as sweet as could be with a smile on her face, "where she might have gone. She's my friend, too...I think. Just concerned." Any shyness she had faded, replaced with coy defenses. She thought of how Mabel handled bad attitudes and now knew how to adapt to it. Show no fear, only kindness.

"You think?" Tiffany laughed in a mocking tone, "She went with that Wendy chick up to the hill near the water tower. Said something about about a weird door. Not that it's any of your business."

"But it is my business," Candy shrugged, still smiling and still calm and soft spoken, "I'm actually showing concern towards my friends." This made Tiffany and Ariel glare with anger, but they didn't offer a rebuttal. They had dismissed their leader-their queen bee-without question. Pacifica could be in danger, but they followed her orders without question. "But thanks for the info. I'm going to go find them. And can I ask you two a question? Do you like looking down on others because it's something you enjoy or because you were taught to do it?" She felt like she was channeling Ford's words, despite the fact that he was still alive. She did spend some time interviewing him and Fiddleford after Weirdmageddon, and Ford's wisdom was tremendously intriguing.

"We look down on those who are beneath us!" Ariel snapped and rolled her eyes.

"But how do you know who's beneath you?" Candy gave another smile, "You don't know me or my family's background. You don't even know what we've contributed to the Gravity Falls community. So how can you judge us? Is this really what you believe or what the old Pacifica taught you to think?"

The two girls looked at each other for a moment before their faces clearly became an uncomfortable mess. Their thin shells were clearly not tough to crack.

"We just want to please her," Ariel was the first to chirp, "She's rich, and her family's famous."

"We don't really enjoy looking down on everyone," Tiffany likewise muttered, "We just want to fit in with Pacifica."

"But I know she's been trying to be nicer since the...incident at the mansion," Candy lowered her glasses for a moment to look at them, "I think you two should stop doing what she says all the time and start thinking for yourselves." She then walked away with a smile still on her face in the direction of the back patio where Grenda was. She thought she heard them say "Do you think she fell for it?" before her smile faded to a look of concern at the floor. She thought about where Wendy and Pacifica were headed, and the thought filled her with dread. She had been studying Ford and McGuckett's old underground maps, and she knew dang well that whatever was down there wasn't good. They were messing with things they didn't understand.

Half of what she had read of that particular bunker Ford had blacked out in the document on purpose, and if whatever it was were to get loose in the town…

No, she didn't want that on her conscience or for her new friends to be in danger.

She found Grenda on the back patio, dressed as Tank Girl and guzzling down some punch while arm wrestling the captain of the Gravity Falls high school football team. The girl clearly had no trouble holding her own, drinking the punch with one hand and pushing the captain's arm with the other. When it was time to focus again, she pushed the tough sports star's arm down to the wooden table.

"HA!" Grenda shouted in triumph, "TAKE THAT AND EAT IT, LOSER!"

"I let you win," the captain said, trying to save face, "But how 'bout a rematch later?"

"OH, YOU'RE ON!" Grenda replied, giving him a point before leaving the table to join Candy. "SO, HOW DID THE DRAWING SESSION GO?!"

"New design is ready," Candy responded, still very soft-spoken with a nervousness in her tone, "But we have a bigger problem here."

"WHAT COULD THAT BE?!"

"Wendy and Pacifica are headed into a sealed Ford bunker," Candy took out a map she had in her backpack, "There's…something he and McGuckett didn't want escaping."

"OH, SNAP!" Grenda exclaimed, "WE GOTTA GET OVER THERE NOW!"

"Fully agreed," Candy nodded, "We should head there now."

The two ran out of the party, through the front door, and down the hill towards the old water tower. The moon still bathed the area in a sickly, gray light. As they neared the edge of the cliff, roughly 200 yards away, they saw Wendy drop over the edge. Immediately, Candy began to worry if they were too late. Still, the two girls continued down the path to the mysterious door that they found to be fully opened. Pacifica and Wendy were nowhere in sight, and a wave of panic washed over both of them.

Wendy and Pacifica walked roughly ten feet into the tunnel before stopping short. There was a ladder that led downward to a lower layer of the area, layered in pitch blackness. They shined their flashlights downward and did see that it was a safe enough solid surface below, but something felt off. Pacifica looked back up, flashlight still pointing downward, and gazed into the inky darkness of the tunnel. She stood there for what felt like an eternity, though it was only roughly 20 seconds. But there she stood, wondering, fearing, doubting. What could lay beyond this point? Did she really want to follow this kind of life, chasing hidden secrets and monsters in the dark? This was Dipper's life...was it worth it?

 _Yes_ , her mind answered her, _yes it was. There is a certain thrill to this paranormal stuff, and it's a better life than the superficiality your parents offered you. And Dipper's such a cute, strong, and charming nerd boy...No doubt you'll impress him with this venture. But really, this isn't FOR him; it's FOR you! You can do this, Platinum Paz. Time to clime down._

"Hey," Wendy bumped Pacifica in the shoulder, "You okay, there, Paz?"

"Yeah," Pacifica shook her head, "Just...thinking. Let's stop wasting time and climb down."

"Thinking the same thing," Wendy replied, "I'll scout ahead." There was definitely still the spirit of the big sister in her; she was braving ahead and making sure the path was safe. She climbed down the ladder, trusty axe in hand, and once she reached the bottom, she looked around and made sure nothing was there.

Pacifica took a deep breath and sighed. It was time to proceed into the filthiness below. She started climbing down as well, looking this way and that as she did.

Suddenly, she felt something budge on the ladder.

"Uh, Wendy," Pacifica shuddered, "my newfound sister-in-arms...I think I need some help!" The ladder began to lean out of place, the bolts at the top bursting out with a loud pop, a droning rusty creak following it.

"Hang on, Paz!" Wendy shouted, "If that thing falls, I'll catch you!"

Pacifica screamed as the ladder unhinged from the ancient rock and came tumbling down. But she ultimately had no choice but to let go and trust her redheaded friend. Wendy caught the poor little rich girl as the ladder fell to the ground with an echoing iron clang. Pacifica fell out of Wendy's arms to her feet, and the two stared at the mess before them.

There was no turning back now. Their only known exit now lay 20 feet above them, and neither of them were about to attempt to climb the muddy, rocky slope, despite how much Wendy desired to try. As brave as she was, she did not know how perilous the cliff would be.

"This..." Pacifica stammered, "Is bad...what do we do now?"

"We continue on," Wendy gave a heavy sigh, "There's another way out somewhere. If this is anything like the last bunker I was in, there's no doubt some other exit. Now, if we just had a map..."

"Wait!" a familiar voice cried from above, "I think I have one!" They looked up to see that at the top of cliff stood Candy and Grenda, also dressed in costume and looking down at them.

"CAN'T HAVE ADVENTURE WITHOUT US, CAN YOU?" Grenda asked rhetorically.

"Were you two weirdos following us?" Pacifica asked with a harsh tone.

Wendy shot her an irritated glance, and Pacifica caught its meaning.

"Sorry, sorry..." Pacifica muttered while patting the air to show reassurance, "Let me start over." She attempted to change her approach, "What brings you ladies our way? Here to help?"

"We heard you were headed to this facility," Candy answered, "I've been reading the blueprints and documents about each bunker. If you're going down here, you're going to need a guide."

"AND I CAN PROVIDE SOME MUSCLE!" Grenda flexed one of her arms.

"Well, okay," Wendy resolved, shrugging, "If you want to join us, you can. We could use the help. If you hop down, we'll catch you."

Wendy and Pacifica caught Candy as she fell, and it took all three of them to catch Grenda before she landed. (Though it still wasn't easy; Pacifica was worried she would fall in some mud behind her)

"...Are you Squirrel Girl?" Pacifica mused, looking over Candy's outfit.

"And you're Black Cat," Candy smiled sweetly, "I did not know you were a Marvel comics fan as well."

"Tell anyone and you're dead," Pacifica groaned before realizing that her outfit was indeed a dead giveaway to her own 'nerdy' interests.

"We better get going," Wendy said, shining a flashlight down the tunnel and readying her axe in her dominant hand, "Who knows what could be down here? I'm all about finding an exit right now."

"Then let me grab a map," Candy rummaged through her backpack for one of the bunker maps that matched their current coordinates. Pacifica shuddered as felt the chill of the clammy, icy cave and shined her flashlight through the dark. What namely disturbed the four was that there did not seem to be an end in sight, as though the torches could not pierce some dark veil at the end.

Still, the four adventurers proceeded onward, not knowing what they would face. Candy was the only one who had some idea of what might be down there. What she didn't know was specifics, her only clues being the document with faded, illegible writing and the images of a UFO and a bio-hazard symbol, but the prospect still filled her with an unshakable sense of dread.


	4. Unknown Horrors Await

The bunker seemed to go on for longer than the girls had expected. They continued to walk down the damp rocky enclosure for another five minutes but still found nothing. Eventually, Candy and Pacifica began doing something neither of them dreamed they would in a million years: having a conversation with each other about common interests.

"Sure, Squirrel Girl is bold and confident," Pacifica began, "But don't you think she's a bit of a Mary Sue? I mean, she takes down Thanos, Galactus, and Fin Fang Foom in a matter of minutes with her only explanation being 'Good Luck?' I mean, the power of the universe just bows and kisses her fluffy tail?"

"A little more complicated than that," Candy answered, still not losing her soft tone, "And even then, she's not meant to be taken that seriously; she's more of a fun joke character. I guess I started liking her playfulness because she reminded me of Mabel. Besides, it makes about as much sense as Black Cat's 'Bad Luck' powers."

"MAKES ME WONDER IF THOSE TWO WOULDN'T CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT WITH OPPOSITE LUCK POWERS," Grenda interjected.

"But that's the thing," Pacifica continued, "They do explain Felicia's Bad Luck abilities later on and can get into the sciency crap behind it. But that's not really the draw I have to her. I can...kinda relate to her."

"You mean coming from a rich family, and her dad had some dirty dealings and almost lead her down the same path?" Candy paused at this and realized how that must of sounded. "I'm sorry; didn't mean for that to..."

"It's...it's fine," Pacifica stifled her temper, knowing she was right, "He is what he is. But yeah, at least Felicia tries to do better. I hope I can do the same."

"Well, you're welcome to sleep over with us and talk about boys anytime," Candy answered.

"I'M STILL WAITING FOR MCGUCKET TO BUILD A PORTAL MACHINE TO AUSTRIA," Grenda added, "WE COULD SPEND IT AT MARIUS' CASTLE WHEN HE DOES."

"Thanks," Pacifica replied, "I could get used to hanging out with a couple of weirdos."

"And while we still have time," Candy continued, "What kind of boys DO you like?"

"Like it's any of your business," Pacifica groaned, but she then recognized her coarse tone and shifted gears, "But...I guess I like mine smart, confident, dedicated...maybe I like nerds more than I realize..." Her mind immediately turned to Dipper. She still longed for the day she would get to see the journal-carrying dork step off the Greyhound bus onto Oregon soil again. Maybe she would get the courage to tell him how she felt

"Actually," Candy grinned, "I think I already know...Just be careful. He's still learning how to behave around girls. Plus, there's times where he can wuss out, but maybe you can take charge of things if he does."

Pacifica wanted to respond with an "As if!" to Candy's suggestion that it was the Pines boy, but she wasn't about to turn down a compliment that acknowledged her superior skill of establishing dominance in any situation.

"Dang right, I can," she smirked, "One of the reasons I'm down here in the first place is to face whatever is in the bunker head on."

"Guys," Wendy chimed in, "I'm glad you're getting along and everything, but we should really keep it down. Who knows what could be listening?"

After another minute, they saw a light just below one of the rock ridges. It was a bright orange bulb that ignited just as they rounded another corner in the cave. Given that it was on the lower level, the girls needed to climb down along the rocky cliff; the cave level on which they walked might have gone on longer, but this light was the first sign of civilized life they had seen in some time. They climbed down the rocky cliff until they could see what looked like a door. To their right was an empty void of darkness leading down to God knows where.

Even so, as meticulous as their downward climb was, it was too narrow for Grenda who lost her grip and began to fall.

"HELP!" she yelled before she felt two hands around either of her wrists. She opened her fearful eyes to find both Wendy and Pacifica pulling her to safety.

"YOU SAVED ME!" Grenda shouted, "THANKS SO MUCH, YOU TWO!" She then threw her muscular arms around either of their necks, almost choking them.

Wendy and Pacifica looked at each other over Grenda's head and gasped in unison, "Don't mention it."

Actually, Pacifica thought, go ahead and mention it. I need to add some niceness points to my reputation.

"If no one minds," Candy stated, "I'll be the first to open this door." With that, she turned the iron latch on the rusted door below the glowing orange light. The hinges grated and echoed across the ancient cavern, giving the young ladies an ominous feeling of which there is no name upon the Earth. As Wendy, Pacifica, and Grenda pulled themselves to their feet, they could see beyond the newly opened portal and found another small antiquated room, ancient bulbs lighting the interior of what was clearly a provisioning room similar to the last bunker Wendy had seen.

"Well, this looks familiar," Wendy stated.

"How so?" Candy asked.

"The Pines and I dove down into one of Ford's old bunkers kinda like this one over the summer," she answered, "It was….crazy but fun, I guess."

Pacifica suddenly felt jealous.

"At least I didn't have to deal with that," Pacifica scoffed, attempting to pass off that she wasn't envious, but everyone recognized it for what it was and ignored her comment.

The group proceeded into the dimly lit office. It was likewise filled with decades-worth of food rations and various supplies. There was a desk with various documents and case files scattered about its surface. Pacifica and Wendy walked over and examined some of their contents. (Candy and Grenda were playing around with the hazmat suits and electromagnetic guns) Among the files were details listing something about an Arizonian lumberjack being abducted by aliens back in the 70's, some strange anomalies coming from a Washington town called Twin Peaks, Some various scrambled writings of people named Lovecraft, Derleth, Winchester, and Kolchak, and two interviews Ford had conducted with two bright young FBI academy attendees that went by Mr. Cooper and Mr. Mulder.

"Does any of this make sense to you?" Pacifica asked Wendy.

"Ehhh..." Wendy tottered her hand back and forth, "About as much sense as some old sci-fi shows." she tried looking harder at the desk. Eventually she found what she was looking for: a collection of runic symbols highlighted among some others. "Dude! Talk about leaving your password next to the computer." She cleared her throat to get the others' attention. "Okay girls, listen up. In the next room, watch out for these runes; they may help us unlock the next door."

"COULDN'T I JUST PUNCH DOWN THE DOOR?" Grenda asked, "SEEMS WAY EASIER."

"Sorry Grenda," Wendy wished that could work, but continued to explain, "The door may not be that easy to find, and despite how strong you are, Ford built this place to last. You're not She-Hulk, you know."

"AWW." Grenda was disappointed.

"We need to be careful of where we step and what we push next," Wendy proceeded, "As acting den mother here, I need you all to work together and get this puzzle worked out. The next room is going to be very dangerous, and I don't want anyone dying on my watch."

"Yes, ma'am!" the three other girls said in unison, Pacifica having some annoyance in her tone. Why couldn't she be den mother? She decided not to question her...this time. She still was, after all, the cool older girl (who Dipper might still like), and she still needed her advice on adventuring through creepy locales.

The group proceeded to the door at the far end of the room, and sure enough, it opened to a large room with what looked like various symbols scrolled across the walls and floor. There didn't seem to be any on the ceiling, but as Candy squinted into the darkness, she could make out what looked like small holes here and there.

"Okay, girls," Wendy remarked, "You know what to do. Watch your step, and be sure to press the right symbols."

"Maybe if we walk on the cracks," Candy chimed, "we may not put enough pressure on the ones on the floor."

"Not a bad idea," Wendy retorted, "Just watch your step."

The girls began gingerly stepping across the floor, making sure not to put too much pressure on any one panel. Eventually, they were spread throughout the room, looking for anything that resembled the symbols from the sheet.

"Hey, there's one!" Pacifica and Candy shouted in unison as they moved to the far wall as fast as they could.

"This has to be one of them!" Candy excitedly lifted her hand to press one of the runes.

"No, it's not," Pacifica protested, "This is one. See the weird swirl thing going down the long line?" She reached her hand to press the rune she thought it was.

"Wait, no it isn't!" Candy argued, "Mine has the same swirl but with the opposite beginning. That's the one on the sheet." The two began trying to pull the other's hand down and press the rune they thought it was, bickering as they went.

"Dude, you two need to chill!" Wendy scolded them. But it was too late, as they both pressed their given runes at once. There was a silent pause as one had lit up while the other did not. Something clicked in the ceiling above, and in the next instant, flame jets began shooting out of the walls and ceiling from the hollow cones.

The girls ducked and dodged the hot fire as they tried looking for more runes. Wendy had the sheet and began shouting at each of her friends who were closest to their given symbol.

"Candy, to your right!" she yelled, rolling out of the way of another stream of fire.

"Got it!" Candy replied, darting over and pressing the rune she knew was correct. It lit up.

"Pacifica, on your left!" Wendy shouted her next order, "The one with the three circles."

"R-Right," Pacifica spun out of the way of another flame, the faux fur on her arm getting slightly singed. She then reached forward and pressed the right rune, illuminating it.

"Grenda, right in front of you!" Wendy commanded.

Grenda attempted to press the rune, a flame right at her back. The rune however, didn't go in.

"UMM, I THINK MINE IS BROKEN!" she replied.

"I think it's going to need a good punch!" Pacifica shouted, "Take the initiative and show it who it works for."

"Give it the Grenda treatment!" Candy chimed.

"WITH PLEASURE!" Grenda reared back her arm and then thrust it forward. Her fist knocked the rune further into the wall, lighting it up, albeit having cracked the LED lights, causing them to flicker for a moment.

Immediately, an electronic door slid open, revealing the way out.

"Run for it, girls!" Wendy shouted as the four raced towards the aperture. They stumbled into the room, Pacifica tripping over one of the inlaid runes in the floor. Wendy pulled her into the room just before a flame jet blasted her boot. In an instant, the door to the trap room slammed shut, the steel reverberations echoing down the rest of the undiscovered corridor behind them.

"WOOHOO!" Grenda exclaimed, "WE DID IT, GUYS!"

"Alright, I gotta say it," Wendy began, "We need to work as a team here. I need you two to get along if we're going to make it out of here." She looked at Pacifica and Candy. "You fighting like that, it almost got us killed. Not cool, man. Not cool."

"She's right," Candy sighed, "I'm sorry Pacifica." She lifted up both her arms, wondering if she would get a hand shake or a hug. (Her cheerful nature preferred the latter)

"I'm...," Pacifica hesitated, "I'm...that, too." She went ahead and hugged Candy. She decided she was a hugger, so why fight it? Candy was pleased at least. Wendy smiled, knowing Pacifica was making progress.

The four looked around the room. There was what looked like a control console, a busted cabinet full of chemicals and beakers none of them would dare touch, and a broken sterilization machine that gave Wendy flashbacks to when she and Dipper fought the shapeshifter, this one however having a broken doorway that lead beyond into a longer cavern.

"So do any of these retro computer thingies work?" Pacifica griped.

"Candy is on it," Candy beamed sweetly. She began pressing buttons that made sense to her technical mind, but nothing activated. No power, so no monitor display. "Nope. No tech power here. We're on our own."

"Ugh, seriously?" Pacifica groaned.

"Doesn't mean we can't figure out where to go," Wendy smiled, "C'mon, guys. We got this. Let's search around for clues about what we're dealing with here."

"I'LL SCOUT AHEAD TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY OUT," Grenda decided.

"Yes, yes, and I'll be the eyes in the back of her head," Candy volunteered.

"I...elect to stay and help Wendy," Pacifica stated.

"Alright," Wendy sighed, widening her eyes, "Just be careful and don't wander too far. We should stick close together, if horror movies have taught me anything."

"WILL DO!" Grenda answered, and she and Candy proceeded into the next room. Here, they found several large open area, stringed light bulbs dimly lighting it along the walls. There was what looked like a control board in the center of the room, with large thick cabling coming from its back and extending into the far wall. On said wall was a large cluster of small hexagonal vaulted doors, about a foot in length a piece and arranged like some large bee hive. Some of these doors were slightly ajar, only giving way to pitch black emptiness behind them.

In the previous room, Wendy and Pacifica rummaged through files until they found two things: a map of the rest of the tunnels and a memoir regarding the notes on this facility.

"Looks like this is what Ford was doing down here," Wendy said.

"And what did our favorite old nerd write?" Pacifica asked, a curious excitement in her voice Wendy had not expected, and grabbed the edge of the paper to read it with Wendy. It read thus:

June 29th, 1981

These notes are meant for later until I can copy them into my second journal. In our further expeditions through the fallen spacecraft, Mcguckett and I have discovered several skeletal remains of the vessel's ill-begotten crew. After some discussion and debate, we have decided to let our curiosity take hold and find a possible way to clone these extraterrestrial creatures for further study. Upon returning to the craft at a later point in the evening, we brought further equipment to extract bone marrow from the long expired creatures. It appears I will be pulling an all-nighter on mapping this DNA and possibly reconstructing a tissue sample. This will indeed be a long process.

June 30th, 1981

Good news and bad news. We have reconstructed a tissue sample, and the rate of regrowth is phenomenal. In fact, I can imagine this will grow into a rough approximation of how the fallen crew member appeared in life. This makes me contemplate if they would retain the same consciousness as their predecessor or if they would possibly have the same "soul" as one would call it; I am a scientist and not a theologian, so this is of no consequence to me, nor can I possibly calculate it. It is unfortunate, however, that as soon as we're able to reconstruct what appears to be a tentacle (possibly one of the creature's arms?), it immediately degenerates and begins to decay. I need to isolate where this is coming from in order to make further progress. Until then, I need to continue working on the interdimensional portal. (So far, I think I heard sounds coming from the other side; some voices talking about a Butterfly kingdom on a plane called Mewni, but my muse is telling me I've got the wrong frequency)

July 30th, 1981

We've done it...sort of. It's been a month since I started on this side project, but McGuckett has devised a way to isolate the molecular bonds to keep them stable. We've fully reconstructed a living bodies of the fallen crew. It took a long time for the skeletal structure and nervous system to fall into place, but they were able to be fully cloned in our makeshift "breeding pool" as McGuckett dubbed it before spitting into a spitoon. We've created living subjects that we are keeping sedated in a number of cryo chambers we've built into the walls of our underground facility. The world is not ready to see aliens yet, and we've taken great precautions to keep them hidden from the rest of the world. Still, when we thaw one from its chamber, it dies before it even leaves the table, though its body no longer disintegrates like our previous attempts. Still, we are keeping each body in cold storage in case we need the tissue samples for later.

October 31st, 1981

Fitting that I make this entry on Halloween. All of this was a mistake, one for which I take full responsibility. McGuckett, if you're reading this, I fault you not. Our bio-molecular tampering has caused a mutation within the cells of these creatures, one of which is causing them to reassemble some form of motor function, one of which is grossly stronger than when we first reconstructed them. They have become what George A. Romero might have referred to as the "living dead." Many of them have broken from their cryotubes and wreaked havok upon our laboratory. I've taken the precautions that I did for my last bunker with the shapeshifter, that if one of these creatures were to attempt an escape, they would be incinerated. God help me; I feel like Dr. Frankenstein from Mary Shelly's novel. Given the nature of these discoveries, this will be the final record of these experiments. In fact, I refuse to copy this into any of my further journal entries. May no one dare enter this dreaded place of death and the unknown.

"What the crap did I just read?" Pacifica asked rhetorically.

"Huh," Wendy chuckled nonchalantly, "Zombie aliens. Well this has all the makings of a B-grade grindhouse movie." Still, the thought of this being a reality sent an impulse to her brain to reach for the axe she kept on her back when she suddenly felt a grapple on the sleeve of her battle dress. Pacifica was holding her arm tight.

"For all of Ford's hyper intelligence," Pacifica nervously uttered, "he really didn't have a clue what half of his dumb experiments would do. What do we do if those things are still alive, Wendy? What do we do?"

"Hey, don't worry, woman," Wendy laughed with a smile, looking into the frightened blonde girl's blue eyes, "No matter what, we can take any monster that comes our way. We survived Bill, didn't we? We can take on anything!"

In the other room, Candy moved over to the computer console.

"Ooooh," she mused, "What could these say?"

She looked at the controls, all covered in dust, and wondered whether or not they were still operational. Surprisingly, it still had power. The terminal LCD screen read thus:

COOLANT SYSTEM OFFLINE!

OPERATING SYSTEMS OFFLINE!

SUBJECT STATUS: DECEASED!

"Well, that sounds bad," Candy concluded, all before a slithering sound echoed through the room, and small turquoise tendrils emerged from the open containers. Soon, there as a moaning and growling sound that could be heard all around them.

"UH, LADIES," Grenda muttered, "I THINK WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS!"


	5. Escaping the Endless Ranks of the Dead

Wendy and Pacifica ran to investigate what Candy and Grenda had found, only to see the dreaded abomination emerge from its makeshift tomb. It might have been a fascinating sight for the likes of Dipper, but all present were horrified at the creature's four glazed-over eyes and its green and gray skin that appeared to be flaking or rotting off its skull.

Soon more emerged from these ancient, rusted tubes, and the girls realized it was a futile effort to try and stand and fight.

"We better run," Wendy said, brandishing her axe, "But I'm ready to kick some monster butt if it comes to it."

"SURE WE CAN'T FIGHT OUR WAY THROUGH THIS?" Grenda asked, raising her clenched fists, "I'M READY TO SMASH!"

"Can't risk it!" Wendy shouted, "We gotta find another way out of here." She looked around and found there was another darkened tunnel. "That way! There's gotta be another entrance down that way!"

"Allow me," Pacifica took out her phone and powered the flashlight on it, illuminating the tunnel ahead.

"That's a pretty powerful flash," Candy stated, ignoring the fact that the undead extraterrestrials were getting closer, "Would love to examine the hardware."

"There's an old movie about dinosaurs that really sums up how my family operates," Pacifica responded, "We spare no expense."

The creatures had now reached the ground level, having oozed their disgusting, rotting tentacles down from their tubes to the floor, ready to lumber over to our heroines.

"We need to go," Wendy began to emphasize, "NOW!"

With that, the girls began to run down the corridor, Pacifica in the front to illuminate the way, Candy in the center and ready to hack or run a bypass on any mechanical door she found, and Wendy and Grenda in the rear to fight off any of the zombie aliens that got too close.

Sure enough, some of the creatures were closing in on them. Their tentacled forms could easily scale the rocks and lumbered slobberingly forward, some crawling along the ceiling above Wendy and Grenda's heads. One reached down, moaning in a gelatinous, guttural howl. Fortunately, Wendy was quick to react and sliced off two of the monster's tendrils, causing it to screech louder but not fazing its pursuit.

Two more hopped up from behind a rock, howling and gnashing their hideous needle-sharp teeth. Grenda quickly gave both of them a jab in their cataract-ridden eyes. Before she could celebrate once more how strong she was, a third leapt forward from its revolting, ropey limbs.

Just as quickly, Wendy whacked the thing in the face with the blunt part of her axe, sending the creature flying across the cave. Grenda gave a thankful smile, and Wendy acknowledged with a playful wink.

Pacifica and Candy watched horrified as they felt defenseless. They were, however, at least thankful their friends could put up a good fight and keep them safe.

Paz for one had yet another reason to envy Wendy. She could fake the tough attitude but knew dang well she couldn't fight like her. This was another facet she decided she would improve, provided Wendy gave her fighting lessons and of course that they survived this encounter.

Candy, on the other hand, pulled out her dusty map and found sure enough that they were indeed headed in the right direction. She was, however, worried that she would be letting everyone down when she began doubting her ability to hotwire electrical panels, despite electronics being her newfound passion. How could she possibly hope to build BMO when she knew nothing? No, she told herself; she had studied enough and could wing it. Black wire, red wire, she knew where they went, what to ground and what to short circuit.

It felt like they had run down this tunnel for a mile; each time a creature would get close to them, Wendy and Grenda were quick to fight it off, but still the horde progressed. Finally, they found a massive iron door, with blue LED lights indicating an electronic seal.

"FINALLY!" Grenda shouted, "MY KNUCKLES ARE GETTING TIRED FROM PUNCHING UNDEAD CALAMARI!"

"Hmm," Candy looked around, "now where is the control mechanism?"

"Will you hurry up and find it already!?" Pacifica barked watching the horde of ET zombies approaching, but she paused and corrected herself, "...Sorry. I'll try and help with the light." She shined her phone's light around the door frame until finally the found the panel near the floor.

Immediately, Candy hopped down and pried it open. Pacifica shined the light within it so Candy could see what she was doing as she unplugged the wires and began attempting to run her bypass on it.

Wendy took another swing at an approaching monster, while Grenda threw an uppercut at another.

"Think you're okay with that stuff?" Wendy sounded over her shoulder.

"I think," Candy answered. She grabbed two more wires she didn't recognize but had some idea that these could be right. Pacifica wanted to express her panic but knew it would come out as a coarse remark. As they looked at the panel again, both of the non-fighter girls held their breath. Candy closed her eyes and connected the two wires. There was a light, pleasant beep sound, followed by the LED lights turning green and the sound of a large clunk.

The door had unlocked.

Pacifica shined the light on the wheel of the door as Candy quickly reached for it and twisted it to the left, opening it to reveal another dimly lit office. Both fortunately and unfortunately, it seemed that this one did not have the same security measures as the previous room. The four girls made their way inside as the monsters advanced and immediately closed and attempted to seal the door behind them with the wheel crank on the opposite side.

The first thing that Candy and Pacifica at least noticed (while Grenda and Wendy locked the door) was the aspect of the room. There was very little dust here, and it didn't take an IT genius to notice the new technology established and fully installed in this room. The security monitors were in 1080p HD, and the OS on the server monitor displayed Windows Server 2012, waiting for a login.

It was no consolation to any of them as they all looked at the security camera outside the door and found more of the beasts accumulating there. Despite it being reinforced steel, the creatures were clearly putting a lot of weight against it. How many of these things had Ford and McGucket created?

Wendy and Grenda made their way back to the door and put their own weight against it, attempting to hold them back in some vain effort. Really, it was all they could think to do, not that two teenage girls could really hold a reinforced steel door very well against the weight of a horde of undead tentacled monstrosities.

The scene on the monitors showing them gathering around the door didn't help matters.

Thankfully, there was another door at the far end of the room, and Candy immediately ran over to it and opened the panel. This one, however, looked far more advanced, and given that she was a novice at this from the start, this was going to be very complicated.

"I do not think I can hack this one," she muttered.

"Can't you at least try?" Pacifica stammered, "Our lives are on the line!"

"IT'S WORTH A SHOT!" Grenda shouted from the other side of the room.

"Okay..." Candy hesitated, but began attempting to disable and bypass the wiring.

Panic set in as Pacifica examined the monitors. It seemed like a hopeless situation, and she couldn't help but think that this could be it. She took a deep breath, pulled out her phone, and called Mabel via video chat.

"Hel-lo!" Mabel pleasantly chimed, though her image on the screen was choppy here and there, "What...up, Pac…?"

"Hi...Mabel," Pacifica awkwardly muttered, "Could you please put your brother on?"

"HEY, DIP…!" Mabel shouted before cutting out again, "Yo...girlfri...on the pho..."

"I'm not his..."

"Hi, Pacifica," Dipper smiled equally awkward, "Everything ok?"

"Not really, Dipper," Pacifica sighed, "I'm kinda in a bad situation."

"Can I he…?" Dipper asked before the image became choppy.

"Wish you could," Pacifica responded, "We could've used a bit of paranormal nerdiness on this one. But I need to you let you know something, and you better pay close attention, dork."

"I am," Dipper raised an eyebrow, slightly agitated and expecting a crass remark from her.

"I've been trying to be nicer," Pacifica continued, "but it's still really hard for me. Being coarse with people is almost second nature to me, and I'm trying to break that habit. Not necessarily for anyone else but because it's something I want to do for myself. I want to be better than my parents. But I know why I'm doing this in the first place is partially thanks to you. You've inspired me and gave me a newfound confidence in myself that I didn't know I needed, and it all started with that night at the mansion when you told me I didn't have to be like my horrible family. What I'm trying to say is...Dipper, my nerd of nerds, I think I've been secretly in love with you! And I needed you to know that before anything else happened tonight."

The girls in the room heard it, and her statement confirmed exactly what they were already thinking.

"What was tha…?" Dipper asked through pauses, "You're cutting o...I couldn't hea..."

"Dipper?" Pacifica frantically asked, "Are you still there? Dipper!"

The signal completely died, and the phone conversation ended.

Pacifica growled and almost threw the phone to the ground, when suddenly, she noticed something on the control boards of the monitors. It was marked in big, bold red letters, and it immediately frustrated her that none of them saw it earlier.

It read "PLASMA CANNONS" with a small skull and crossbones symbol next to it.

"How did I miss that!?" Pacifica shrieked. But she didn't waste time and immediately pressed it. In an instant, on the video monitor, Pacifica could see two very large cannons emerge from the ceiling above the opposite end of the door. They began firing enormous blue plasma blasts in rapid succession and vaporizing the relentless undead extraterrestrials, the boom from each blast reverberating against the steel door and forcing Wendy and Grenda to back away from it. After two minutes, there was dead silence.

On the monitors, the cannons had stopped, and the monsters had been reduced to dust.

"Well," Wendy finally broke the silence, "that's one way of doing it."

"Makes me wonder why it was turned off," Candy said.

"MAYBE FORD DIDN'T THINK HE NEEDED IT!" Grenda responded.

"I don't think this was Ford's work," Pacifica followed, "All this junk looks too new." She looked at the control console and found the lock for the door Candy was still trying to open. "Here, let me help you out, fork girl."

"Uh, thanks..." Candy replied, but then remembered the forks she used to put on her fingers as some sort of transhumanizing gesture. (These turned out to be impractical, especially when Candy started to think of new improvements she could make)

Pacifica pressed the button, and the door opened. What they found on the other side, Pacifica immediately recognized as her old mansion's kitchen, though she almost didn't without any staff present. Instead, there was McGuckett stirring a pot of rank-smelling soup as his raccoon ran between his legs and through the opened door past them to the MRE rations that were in one of the lockers.

"Hey ther', youngins," McGuckett shouted and paused his stirring, "I think ya dun gon' an' startled mah wife!"

"I think she was just hungry for some real food, dude," Wendy answered, "however bland it might be."

"There was a tunnel here the whole time?!" Pacifica stammered in frustration.

"Nah," McGuckett answered, "I had the thing dug up shortly after y'all skedaddled. Then, with that thar grand money, I constructed mah own security system in case them aliens Ford and I made decided to come lookin' for me."

"I can just imagine," Wendy vocalized her thoughts, "had you said aliens from underground were about to attack you at any given day, that might have either added to your 'local cook' reputation or became Toby Determined's next tabloid headline."

"I actually did tell that feller about it," McGuckett responded, "but he just laughed and said it was too far-fetched a headline even fer me. Instead, he ran with some story about weird people from Mewner or Mewmah or some such dimension I hadn't seen."

"I'm impressed with the technical workings you put together here," Candy stated.

"THOSE LASER CANNONS WERE PRETTY DOPE!" Grenda added.

"I may be good with tech thingamagiggers," McGuckett followed, "but I sure can't quite cook this old boot stew." Pacifica walked over and looked in the pot. It was a green and brown color, with what looked like small bones, a lizard tail, and a large muddy old boot floating in it. The sight and smell of it caused her to swoon so much she wasn't sure if she would pass out or puke; it smelled worse than the zombie aliens they just encountered. It was as if someone had blended rotten eggs with ammonia and then escalated its pungent odor to eleven.

She couldn't stand that such a vile atrocity of a 'dinner' would be cooked in the kitchen of her formal ancestral home.

"Mr Hillbilly," Pacifica uncovered her nose and spoke as politely as she possibly could muster, "I know some people who have probably recently been disenfranchised and would probably love their old jobs back if you'd hire them on to cook your meals for you. Now...if you would be so kind as to leave this kitchen and never reenter it, they'll make sure your meals are never, ever this bad again."

"So this is how our night ends," Wendy stated as the four of them sat on the steps of McGuckett Manor.

"THAT WAS INTENSE, EVEN FOR ME!" Grenda followed, "AND WE DEALT WITH THE SUMMERWEEN TRICKSTER!"

"But at least old crazy McGuckett agreed to work with me on my technical knowledge," Candy sweetly said with a smile, "That's a positive and a win in my book."

"I really don't know how you all do it," Pacifica sighed, "Maybe I wasn't cut out for all this."

"What are you talking about, girl?" Wendy laughed, "You held your own pretty dang well back there. And actually, you're the one who spotted those laser blasters that ended up saving the day."

"THE PINES TWINS WOULD BE PROUD!" Grenda continued.

"Plus," Candy added, "you live in Gravity Falls. You kind of don't have much of a choice but to deal with this sort of thing on occasion. But I think you're adapting pretty good."

"Thanks, weirdos," Pacifica reached out her arms and grabbed the three of them in a sitting group hug, "I did all this to try and grow as a person, to show that I could face the kind of insanity that Dipper and Mabel faced on a daily basis. Really, all this is humiliating and showing that I've got a lot to learn when it comes down to it. But I've still got to show my tough front; I've got to show my confidence to the world, even if I'm faking it. But...I'm glad I can open up around you all at least."

"Anytime, woman," Wendy smiled back, "We'll do what we can to build you up and show you how awesome you are. Feel free to vent to us any time; we've got your back."

"And..." Pacifica stammered softly, "About Dipper...I said some things back there on the phone...but I don't think he actually heard me." Her tone returned to its usual coarseness. "If any of you breathe a word about it, I swear..."

"Your secret's safe with us," Candy said.

"It's cool, girl," Wendy raised her hands defensively, "But I gotta say, though...Next summer, I want you to do yourself a favor. I want you to go up to him, look him in the eye, and tell him how you really feel about him. I think he might be more receptive to it than you might think."

"...Okay," Pacifica hesitated at first but sighed in resolve, "Will do. But why do you think he'll be okay with it? I was so terrible to his sister this past summer."

"Welllll," Wendy rolled her eyes, "considering what I saw that he had crossed out in his Journal on the page regarding my ancestor's ghost about you...I think he really liked that hug you gave him and how you smelled that night..."

"What?"

"Nevermind," Wendy laughed again and patted Pacifica hard on the back.

Pacifica then decided to change the subject before her face turned even more red.

"So, have any of you ridden in a limo before?" she asked.

"Can't say I have," Candy replied.

"NOT EVEN WITH MARIUS!" Grenda followed.

"A bit to fancy for my family," Wendy smiled and winked.

"Well, we're closing out our night in one," Pacifica smile, "And my offer still stands about the Disney Club 33 visit. Maybe I can pull some strings and add a couple more reservations for it."

The girls laughed and cheered together after the limo arrived. They drank Pitt Cola while listening to a combination of Sev'ral Timez and whatever mixed album Wendy had picked up from Edgy on Purpose. And as the hours continued to roll on towards the 1st of November, All Saints Day, they continued to make merry in their proper, hysterical way. It was befitting of teenage girls without any direction of who they might one day be or without the worry or care one might have of facing the future immediately. Tonight they would enjoy themselves and discover that they were not alone in this, that no matter what unknown horrors they might face in this town, they still had each other and their many other friends in Gravity Falls.

After Pacifica had gone to sleep, her phone vibrated in her costume's pocket. It was a message from Mabel that of course she wouldn't see until the following morning.

Mabel: Hi Pacifica! I got a call from Ford; he says he wants you to call him back at 555-9432 and tell him everything you found down there, whatever that means. But I also got a pocket dial from Candy when you called for Dipper. Since her phone gets better reception...I think you know what I'm saying. Heehee. Don't worry, I won't tell him. But you should. Otherwise, I'll bug you all next summer with my silliness. Do not underestimate the power of Mabel!


End file.
